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Derek Van Diest: Iceland set good example for Canadian men's national soccer team

Author of the article:

Derek Van Diest

Publishing date:

January 15, 2020 • 5 minute read

Iceland's players including Iceland's forward Johann Berg Gudmundsson (L) and Iceland's forward Alfred Finnbogason celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification football match between Iceland and Kosovo in Reykjavik, Iceland on October 9, 2017. Iceland qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2018 as smallest country ever after beating Kosovo 2-0 at home in Reykjavik.Haraldur Gudjonsson/ Getty Images

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Iceland became the smallest country to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup, earning a spot in Russia 2018. Two years earlier, they qualified for the European Championship where they defeated England 2-1 in the second round and held the eventual champions, Portugal, to a 1-1 tie in group play.

With a population of just over 360,000, Iceland went from the 131st ranked country in the world to 18. They are currently 39th going in to face 73rd-ranked Canada (7 p.m. ET, CanadaSoccer.com).

“I definitely believe we’re more than capable of getting to where Iceland is,” Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio said in a conference call Tuesday. “Iceland has made themselves known as a footballing nation and they’ve not only done it at one tournament, they’ve done it at two big tournaments. There is definitely something we can learn from them. This is a nation with a small population and it’s a country that is much smaller than ours and there is no reason that Canada can’t be as successful as Iceland has been.”

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Sergino Dest #18 of the United States drives against Jonathan Osorio #21 of Canada during the CONCACAF Nations League match at Exploria Stadium on November 15, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. Sam Greenwood / Getty Images

Iceland’s rise on the world scene began with the entire restructuring of their system.

Iceland took on an ambitious project to revamp their antiquated facilities and built seven mega soccer centres, which housed full-sized fields. They built 20 outdoor heated fields and a number of half-sized indoor fields. Iceland also set up 150 mini fields around the country.

Perhaps, most importantly, Iceland invested in coaching, eliminating the volunteer coach. Every coach in the country has to have at least a UEFA B level licence and are all paid positions, even at the lowest youth levels.

“For them, I know it has taken years to build an identity and a structure that has allowed them to be where they are at this moment,” said Osorio, who plays his club soccer for Toronto FC. “I think we’re in the process of that. We have more and more players being successful abroad and in our domestic league as well and I think that’s important. In the past, we haven’t had too many players playing regularly on their teams, whereas now, we have a lot. We sometimes have guys that don’t make the starting 11 on our national team that are playing regularly on their club teams and there is a lot more completion with the team.”

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Canada is heading in the right direction with more paid coaching positions at the youth level and better facilities being constructed around the country, allowing the game to be played indoors during the winter.

The Canadian MLS franchises and founding of the Canadian Premier League is also having a positive impact on the national team. There are three CPL players at the current national team camp in California.

Canada defeated Barbados 4-1 on Friday and last Tuesday. Amer Didic of FC Edmonton became the first CPL player to score a goal for the national team in the second win against Barbados.

Iceland will be a step up in weight class for Canada.

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“Facing Iceland, obviously, we expect a very good opponent and it’ll definitely be a tougher game than the two that we’ve played, respectively,” Osorio said. “This is a team that has been to the last World Cup, been to the last Euros and have made good pushes in those tournaments. They’re a team with a lot of confidence and they have an identity that has worked for them in the last few years.

“It’s going to be a really good test for us. At the same time, this game means a little bit more to us because of the way the ranking system works and qualifying for the World Cup works. We’re going to have to bring a really good intensity for this game.”

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With its loss to the United States in the Nations League group stage in November in Orlando, Canada slipped out of the top-six ranked countries in CONCACAF and are therefore currently out of the main 2022 World Cup regional qualifying group. They need to earn FIFA ranking points to get back among the top six before the World Cup qualifying tournament begins in September.

Finishing out of the top group would leave Canada qualifying against the rest of the teams in the region battling for half a spot in Qatar, to be contended against the fourth-place finisher from the main group and then a team from another federation.

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Canada is currently seventh in CONCACAF behind Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador.

“We’re well aware of the task that is at hand this year,” Osorio said. “We know it’s not easy. We know that there are a lot of things against us, but we know that there is still opportunity to make the Hex (top-six). We’re very excited to play the games that we need to this year. We’re happy with what we’ve done so far in this camp, but we know the job is not done and we have a big game against Iceland and that’s the first step.

“That’s what we’re looking for right now and when we get past that step, then we can look forward. When we look forward we know we have a big task ahead of us to gain points on El Salvador and we’re more than up to that task.”

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If anything, Iceland can provide inspiration for Canada. Iceland is gearing up for a Euro qualifying playoff semifinal in Romania, with the winner advancing to play either Bulgaria or Hungary for the right to get into the tournament this summer.

Canada is looking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since their only appearance in 1986. Canada will co-host the tournament in 2026 with Mexico and the United States.

“It starts with having the players and from there you have to get results against teams such as Iceland and better teams,” Osorio said. “We’re in the process of that and definitely we can always learn and take motivation for what Iceland has done.”

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